On The Record

Doing Life With a Community of Faith

How relevant and fulfilling is it to have a community of faith? When Jesus established His church, He was not putting in place members of an institution or organization, He was building a community of faith, made up of His disciples. These disciples were motivated to follow Him by faith and were willing to develop a relationship of friendship that transcends worship or some weekly activity.

Christ is the center and essence of that community and to the extent that we follow Him out of love, our communities will remain united in Him. Christ’s Church is more than an institutional organization, it is a family. For this to be a reality, intentionality in the development of our relationships is essential so that we can help, strengthen, encourage and grow.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” This verse challenges us to get to know each other as a family, as partners—at least two by two with Jesus. This way we can endure whatever comes our way and then move forward and triumph.

I remember one time when an elder in our church reflected that if he had a car accident early in the morning, he really didn't have anyone he trusted enough in the church to call for help. I wonder, who do we trust in our church community to call at dawn with the assurance that they will come to our aid?

Our church relationships cannot simply be limited to what we do when we meet once or twice a week. Our interaction as a family and community of faith, united in Christ, motivates us to know each other better, to help each other more, to care more for one another, to partner in service and mission. Can the family of God, whom we want to unite with in our community of faith, be as close and dependable as our immediate family?

Solomon’s famous line in the verse above is, “Two are better than one.” When we live intimately with our Savior and share close relationships with our brothers and sisters, it is easier to get back up if we’ve suffered a fall and to practice tolerance and acceptance with love and kindness. Let us endure and persevere to the end, just like a cord of three strands. Read page 13 for ideas on how to grow relationships with your fellow members in your local church.

By Osvaldo L. Rigacci, Vice President for Multicultural Ministries